rous relations are absolutely reduced to epistolary effusions, and to
clandestine meetings, to bring about which we have recourse to all the
stratagems employed by separated lovers. There is a certain piquancy in
these adventures which affords us much delight--so true is it that the
deprivation of a pleasure enhances its value. In the morning Kondje-Gul
takes riding-lessons in the Bois with Maud and Suzannah, who are
accompanied by their father. I sometimes take a canter that way, in
order to watch their party ride by. She looks charming in her
riding-habit, and the Montague girls are really very pretty, especially
Maud, who has a pert little playful expression which is very
fascinating.

I forgot to tell you that Kondje-Gul's mother, Murrah-Hanum, has
arrived. She is a woman of forty-five, tall, with a distinguished
bearing, and rather handsome still. Yet although she has been
Europeanized by her residence at the French consul's at Smyrna, and
speaks our language almost with fluency, she retains in her manners all
the peculiarities of the Circassian and the Asiatic; she has an
easy-going and indolent temperament, and in her large dark eyes you can
read the stern resignation of the fatalist races. When she appeared
before me, she lavished upon me, in Oriental fashion, the most ardent
expressions of devotion. I assured her of my desire to secure to her a
share in all the advantages which I wished to confer upon Kondje-Gul.
She expressed her gratitude with calmness and dignity, and swore to
observe towards me the submissive obedience which she owed to her
daughter's husband. In short, you can picture the interview for
yourself; it was characterized by all the florid effusiveness of
Mahommedan greetings.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER X.

I don't suppose you will be astonished at a curious encounter which has
just taken place.

I must tell you that in my uncle's character while in Paris,
Barbassou-Pasha, General in the Turkish cavalry, predominates over
Captain Barbassou the sailor. He takes a ride every morning, and I of
course accompany him. These are our occasions both for intimate talks
and for discussing serious questions; and I beg you to understand that
my uncle's notions upon the latter are by no means ordinary ones. He
adorns such questions with quite original views--views which are
certainly not the property of any other mortal known or likely to be
known in this world below. He starts